@DigTV99don't confuse a time out at the 8th hop with a disconnect issue. If you're finding that your service disconnects, the first place to look is the external cable that runs from your home to the local tap. In fact, to test for this correctly the first target in a ping test is the modem, the next target is the Cable Modem Termination System (hop #2). Any ping tests that you're running should be done via ethernet, not wifi.
The data path that you're testing is as follows:
1. PC or laptop to the modem via ethernet
2. modem to the external Network Interface Device (NID), which is the grey box mounted outside of your home. That is a copper cable path, usually RG-6 cabling.
3. NID to local tap, which is located in a nearby pedestal if you have underground cabling or up on a nearby utility pole if you have overhead cabling to your home. The pedestal is probably visible from your front door, if you have underground cabling in your neighbourhood.That is a copper cable path, usually RG-6 cabling.
4. Local tap to neighbourhood node, via hard cable
5. Neighbourhood node to the Cable Modem Termination System via fibre optic cable.
So, first test is to ping the modem to determine if there's an issue with the modem responding. its possible that if the cable feed to the modem goes down, that the ethernet output from the modem might go down as well. That is something that pingplotter would show, or, you could run two consecutive ping tests using a Windows ping command, one aimed at the modem and one aimed at hop #2. Assuming that you find that the modem always responds, no matter what's going on after the modem, then its time to move on to the CMTS as a target.
I'm assuming that you've switched over to one of the Ignite (read Comcast XBx) modem. It really doesn't matter what modem is in place as a disconnect caused by an external cable fault affects any modem that you might be running. The external cable is the Achilles heal of the cable system. It has a limited lifespan and will either degrade slowly, causing disconnects as you're experiencing or it will go the final end and simply fail, which is much easier to diagnose. That cable could last a few years, or it might be serviceable for 15 years or more. Each installation is unique.
Ok, so, assuming that you have a problem with the external cable and/or its connectors, the way to see that is by pinging the CMTS, hop #2 in a trace to anywhere.
Run a trace to anywhere: tracert -4 www.google.com
That runs an IPv4 trace to google. Use the IP address for hop #2 (assuming that the modem is running in Gateway mode) and use that as a target for Pingplotter. Pingplotter automatically places the target ping results in the bottom display area. That hides all of the intermediate hops between the modem and the end target. So, yes, you will see a disconnect from google when the cable that runs to the local tap disconnects, but, that's not a upstream Rogers network fault, its most likely its a local cable fault which you can't see due to Pingplotter's display of the end target. So, restricting your ping test to the CMTS will show when you have disconnects from the network. While problems like this are normally caused by the external cable, there is always the possibility of problems further upstream, including the local tap itself which is an upscaled splitter of sorts, the cable run to the neighbourhood node and the neighbourhood node itself. And there is always the possibility that someone in your neighbourhood has connected something to the cable system which shouldn't be connected, and as a result, the rest of the neighbourhood experiences problem with their cable system. This last one is a problem to determine and localize.
Personal opinion, don't use Pingplotter for long term testing. It generates a considerable amount of traffic on its own. At this point, if you want to, use it to visually confirm that the modem ping results are separate from the CMTS results (beyond the modem). That's what I would expect to happen, but, I've never run into a disconnect situation with the XB7 that we have, so, I can't say with any certainty that the modem will still respond properly when there is an external disconnect. Maybe Comcast designed the modem to stop responding entirely when there is an external disconnect. That possibility has to be entertained at this point.
So, you can use Pingplotter for short term testing if you prefer, but I recommend switching to a Windows ping test for longer term testing.
I have posted a procedure to use Windows Powershell which will run the ping test and capture the results in a text file.
https://communityforums.rogers.com/t5/Internet/Extremely-slow-internet-amp-TV-in-the-evenings-since-...
By examining the text file you can quantify the number of disconnects that your experiencing in a day. Running the ping test, aimed at the CMTS will show that the fault is somewhere between the modem and the CMTS, most likely with your external cable.
If you have underground cabling, a tech can easily test the cable by running a Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) test. He or she will disconnect the cable at both ends and fire a pulse down the cable using the TDR test device. The return pulse will come from the other end of the cable, or the point where there is a disconnect, most likely caused by water in the cable. If the cable length measures the same when tested from both ends then the question is whether or not there is a significant loss of signal power from one end to the other. In cases where the cable measures different lengths when tested from both ends, then the cable is not serviceable and requires replacement.
So, hope this helps. Fwiw, ask your immediate neighbours if they're on Rogers cable and whether or not they are also experiencing any disconnects. If so, that points to the local tap or beyond. That's an important point in troubleshooting as it moves the task from a contract tech to a Senior Tech (real Rogers tech) or possibly to a maintenance crew.
Note that if you reboot the modem and that temporarily resolves the problem, that is a sign that you have an external cable and/or connector issue.
Assuming that you have one of the Ignite modems (Comcast XB6, XB7 or XB8), when that modem was installed, the tech, or you should have disconnected any cable splitters in the cable system and connected the inbound cable to the modem cable using an F-81 connector which looks like this:
https://www.homedepot.ca/product/ideal-3ghz-f-splice-adapter-10-pack-/1000751479
Cable splitters drop the signal levels at the outbound ports, so, with the change to the single XBx modem in the house, any splitters in the cable system should have been removed.
One last item is to post your cable signal stats. Log into your modem and navigate to Gateway > Connection > Rogers Network. At the bottom of the page you'll see three tables, Downstream, Upstream and CM Error Codewords. To copy those tables place your curser in front of the first character in the table title, that is in front of Downstream, Upstream, and CM. Hold down the shift key and scroll down and to the right of the individual table until your curser sits just after the last character in the bottom right hand data cell. Release the shift key and right click ..... Copy. In a new post, right click .... Paste. That should paste in the table, as it appears in the modem's user interface. Do that for all three tables.
Copy the data after the modem has been running for a period of time. During that time period, the signal levels will degrade, to the point where the modem will reboot to re-establish coms with the Cable Modem Termination System. After the reboot, the signal levels will probably appear as they are expected to appear. The reboot brings them back to an operating level, so, seeing those levels after a reboot doesn't prove very much. But, if the external cable / connectors are almost dead, then even a reboot won't salvage the signal levels and that would show up in the signal levels. So, when you copy and post the signal levels, indicate (roughly) how long the modem has been running.
